Cameo jeweled apples – better than boring apple sauce!

Servings: 6 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

100g cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped*

50g dried or fresh cranberries

1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

2cm root ginger, grated*

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp ground cinnamon

75g bread

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

6 Cameo apples

6 star anise*

sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the chestnuts, thyme, cranberry, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
  3. Tear the bread into the bowl and mix in the egg and oil. Mix thoroughly with a fork, until a moist consistency.
  4. With a sharp knife, cut around the outer rim of the top of the apples and then cut to two thirds down.
  5. With a teaspoon, carefully dig out the middle of the apples and chop any apple flesh from the middles (discarding the core) and then mix into the bowl.
  6. Divide the apple mixture between the apples and top with a star anise.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, until soft and golden.